Beijing Boyce

Union Bar & Grille (map) will soon expand its menu to include, among other items, chicken tenders, three kinds of sliders and – the clincher for me – all-day breakfast. As mentioned before, Union is my “go to” spot for eggs benedict, omelets, and the like. Not to mention bottomless coffee for RMB20. I just wish the efficiency of the wait staff were matched by its friendliness.

Le Cafe Igosso, a good spot for everything from a first date to trying single malts with friends, is biting the dust. I suppose fans can migrate to the new branch (map) at Workers Stadium East, near A Hotel, though it lacks the earthiness of the original.

Q Bar (map) is putting the finishing touches on its new and bigger deck – about triple in size by the looks of it. The simple layout of long tables and benches on the sides with smaller tables and chairs in the middle is giving way to a maze-like design surrounded by two-meter-high glass walls consisting of panels that appear to be mostly opaque red. My initial reaction was “hmmm” but, to be fair, I was downing Alphonso Specials at the time and they tend to warp one’s perceptions.

A press release sent on behalf of Karaiya Spice House (map) announces that this most recent project from Alan Wong of Hatsune fame is open in Sanlitun Village. The two-story venue focuses on Hunan food.

The Rickshaw (map) reports that its kitchen will close from 2 AM to 8 AM because the place will “change almost all of [its] kitchen staff… more than 10 chefs” in an effort to improve the food. I hope the place also improves its service.

But putting that aside, my initial reaction to the announcement: The Rickshaw has more than *ten* chefs!? What have they been doing? This was followed by “Were they fired or did they quit?” and “Who hired them in the first place?” Sometimes it is best to avoid provoking speculation and to simply issue an “Our kitchen will close as part of an upgrade” statement.bAnyway, I hope the place gets back on track as I used to visit quite often in the afternoon to have lunch, watch the NBA Channel, and chat with the regulars.

By the way, The Rickshaw has bingo tonight from 5 PM to 10 PM, with draft beer at RMB5. And sibling joint The Saddle Cantina has dropped its prices up to RMB10 on drinks.